Other · Whistleblowing & Public Interest Disclosures
Investigation report for a disclosure allocated under the Public Interest Disclosure Act
Headings for the report a principal officer prepares under s 51, including the six matters the report must set out, the 90-day completion rule, and the deletions before a copy is given.
- Kind
- Other. A precedent that fits none of the other kinds.
- Where it applies
- Commonwealth
- AI use
- Red You write the text. The tool writes nothing into the document. Where permitted, it may check, clarify or collect data, and anything it checks or collects is verified.
- Law stated as at
- 22 October 2026
- Status
- Maintained. Checked on 22 October 2026 against the 2 authorities it cites, for Commonwealth.
- Version
- 1
- Source
- Written for this library
When to use it
Use when a disclosure has been allocated and the principal officer is completing an investigation under Division 2 of Part 3. The lawyer or the principal officer writes the findings. A copy is given only after the deletions in s 51(5) or s 51(6) are decided.
Used for these tasks
- Plan an investigation of a qualifying disclosure without identifying the discloser
- Prepare the allocation and investigation worksheet for a public-sector disclosure
- Mark the deletions before a copy of the investigation report is given to the discloser
Each task page says how far AI may help with the task and what the lawyer must review.
How AI may be used
AI may set out the s 51 headings and place de-identified material the lawyer has already accepted under the heading the lawyer names. The lawyer writes the findings and the copy that is given.
AI may
- Open a heading for each matter in s 51(2)(a) to (f)
- Calculate the day 90 days after the day in s 52(1) that the lawyer has marked, and leave the extension blank
- List the s 51(5) and s 51(6) deletion heads against the draft, without applying them
AI must not
- Must not write a finding, a recommended action, or a sentence that will appear in the copy given to the discloser
- Must not decide that material identifies a person, is intelligence information, or is subject to a designated publication restriction
- Must not send the report or lodge Ombudsman Form 5
The lawyer checks
- The report sets out each matter in s 51(2)
- Standards in force under s 74 are read before the report is finished; the 2025 determination was not the source of these headings
- The investigation is completed when the report is prepared, and the 90 days run from the s 52(1) day
- The discloser's copy has only the deletions the lawyer has made under s 51(5)
- Form 5, if used, is the current file from the Ombudsman tools page
Method: how the Green, Yellow and Red levels are decided. This is guidance for planning, not legal advice.
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The summary, the law it rests on and the AI-use guidance above stay public. Privacy.
More in Whistleblowing & Public Interest Disclosures
- Whistleblower policy for a company under Corporations Act section 1317AI
- Eligible-recipient intake record for a corporations or tax disclosure
- Allocation notice and notice to the discloser under the Public Interest Disclosure Act
- Protection-from-detriment checklist for a corporations or public-sector disclosure
- Commonwealth Ombudsman public interest disclosure notification forms
All precedents for Whistleblowing & Public Interest Disclosures · Tasks and AI use in this area